Spanish release data: Authorization date: 20 June 1974;
Rating: children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult; Total
spectators: 166,546.

NOTES: This is a mediocre Santo adventure, not terrible but heavily
padded with Haitian dance numbers and other tourist-type footage and with
only a couple of unimpressive "action" scenes (both of the arena wrestling
sequences are taken from La venganza de las mujeres vampiros).
The plot combines horror (magic, zombies) with science fiction (a super
explosive) in a reasonably clear manner, but the execution is less than
inspired and the production values are skimpy. It was shot in Haiti by a
Mexican crew, and the only major character who wasn't a regular in Mexican
cinema is Gerty Jones, who is adequate.

After some catchy theme music,
the film opens at a voodoo ceremony, presided over by Bellamira (Sasha
Montenegro gets to speak a little French here). Another woman, possessed
by the spirit of Damballa, sends Bellamira to the "pool of the gods."
There, she sees Santo receiving orders from Interpol: he must go to Haiti
and protect Professor Jordán, who has developed an explosive "more
powerful than the H-bomb."

When Santo arrives, he's met by Interpol
agent Jorge, who also happens to be the fiancé of Lorna,
Jordán's daughter. Two scientists who were working with
Jordán recently died--the only marks of violence were small scars
on their hearts. Jorge's car has a blowout on the way into town, and he
and Santo are attacked by 4 or 5 zombies. Attack might be too strong a
word, since most of the zombies shuffle around slowly and don't fight very
well. However, they're impervious to bullets but are scared off by a lug
wrench (well, actually it's probably because the lug wrench is in the
shape of a cross).

At his hotel, Santo plays a tape of instructions which says he must
get Jordán's formula for "our government" (whose? Interpol has a
government?) and keep the "eastern republic" (república oriental)
from stealing it. Later, an intruder climbs down a rope to Santo's
balcony, and puts a snake on the sleeping wrestler's chest. Santo wakes
up, grabs the snake, and tosses it off the balcony (look out below!).

Bellamira is in league with two foreign agents (one is Carlos
Suárez, who does his best to speak with an accent); she's angry
that Santo survived the death trap, but swears to get him with her magic
instead.

Meanwhile, Prof. Jordán tells Santo that he doesn't want or
need any protection. He spent "hundreds of hours" working on his formula
and won't turn it over so easily, even though Santo says millions of
people could die. There are secret uranium deposits on Haiti that can be
used to make the new explosive. Santo and Jorge go to a nightclub to see
a good voodoo priestess named Michelle, but she won't help them.

Bellamira leads another voodoo ceremony (in which a real goat is
actually killed on screen, be forewarned). She sticks a pin in a little
Professor Jordán doll, and the scientist drops dead. The coroner
says Jordán had a small scar on his heart, but it wasn't enough to
cause death (little does he know). Bellamira appears at Jordán's
funeral, and is introduced as Lorna's best friend. She surreptitiously
tosses a little blue ring into the grave; she also asks Santo for his
autograph.

Bellamira and the spy duo visit the uranium mines, where slaves are
being forced to extract the mineral while being whipped by a cruel
overseer. That night, Jordán emerges from his coffin (in some kind
of crypt--before, he was buried in the ground, but I may have missed some
explanation), a white-faced zombie, and goes to his house. He tears out a
page from his notebook but is surprised by Lorna, who is understandably
shocked to see her dead father walking around. She faints; he makes as if
to strangle her, but is repelled by the cross around her neck.

Jorge, although he has previously fought zombies with Santo, doesn't
believe Lorna's story. But Santo and Lorna agree that her father's grave
must be opened, just to check. However, a court order must be obtained.
The next day is carnival time; Santo runs into Michelle, who again refuses
to help but promises Santo a magic amulet. That night, Santo wrestles the
Black Hood (footage of Bellamira and the two spies in the audience is
intercut fairly skillfully); despite Bellamira's mental commands to the
contrary, Santo wins. He heads for the graveyard where Jorge and Lorna
are supervising the exhumation, but has to fight his way past the two
foreign agents. The coffin is, no surprise, empty.

The former inhabitant of the coffin is (in a decent if brief scene)
turning over his formula to Bellamira (he doesn't talk, just nods
zombie-like). They test it in a small quantity and it blows up real good.
In a cruel gesture, Bellamira then sends zombie Jordán back to his
house, where Lorna sees him again! This time, he's really dead and flops
over. Lorna, upset, goes to stay with her "friend" Bellamira. However,
that night she wakes up and--clad in babydoll pajamas--follows Bellamira
into the jungle. She's caught by two henchmen. Meanwhile, Bellamira is
poking a Santo voodoo doll with a pin, causing the wrestler (in his hotel
room) to writhe in pain. Lorna manages to break the doll and save Santo,
and for her efforts is put on the menu as the human sacrifice at the next
voodoo ceremony.

Santo beats Rebelde Rojo (more stock wrestling footage). Michelle
finally comes through with the magic amulet; she also fingers Bellamira as
the black magic woman (it's kind of ironic that Michelle, who is black, is
allied with "white" magic, while Bellamira, who is white, is involved with
"black" magic). Jorge, Santo and Michelle go to Bellamira's house, where
they tussle with the spies. The agents flee, but leave a wounded comrade
behind, who gives Jorge the location of the voodoo headquarters. Santo
and the others go there, just in time to prevent Bellamira from killing
Lorna. Instead, Michelle challenges her rival to the "test of Damballa."
Santo takes Michelle's place: he and Bellamira stick their hands into a
basket containing snakes, and are both bitten. Moments pass, and finally
Bellamira succumbs to the poison and drops dead.

As Santo, Jorge, Michelle and Lorna leave, the spies show up again and
there is a brief fight. The police arrive, and everything is wrapped up.
The end.

Santo contra la magia negra has a LOT of drumming,
dancing and singing, but not much else. The zombies have grayish faces
but only appear a couple of times and--as noted above--don't pose much of
a threat since they aren't very fast or agile. Bellamira's voodoo dolls
are more dangerous, and if she had been smart she'd have stuck Santo's
doll much earlier in the film (of course, then the film would have been
over). Towards the end of the picture, Santo tells Jorge that he has one
more wrestling match, and then his cover story for remaining in Haiti
ends; "I'm afraid this time I may have failed," he says. But then
Michelle--who has obstinately refused to give them any clues or
assistance, for reasons of her own I guess--finally lets loose with the
news that Bellamira is the zombie leader, and the climax is underway.

There's one unintentionally funny scene: Jorge, Santo, and Lorna are at
the nightclub where Michelle works as a dancer. Michelle as usual is
close-mouthed, but she does say Lorna's life is in danger. So, Jorge
takes Lorna home, says "I hope you had a nice time," and leaves her at the
front door of her empty house! Some protection! Lorna goes in and what
does she find but her zombie father's corpse sitting in a chair! Thanks
for nothing, Jorge!

If you fast-forward through the dance numbers, this isn't too boring,
but it isn't anything special.